Chocolate Toffee Brittle

 

It has been SO cold this past week here.  I live in the South – it is not supposed to get this darn cold!!  Pair that bitter coldness with my husband & myself fighting a nasty cold, & that makes for one icky week, which is what last week turned out to be!  I did not feel like doing much of anything other than laying on my couch snuggled up with as many pillows & blankets that were within reach.  But, being a homeschooling mama of 2, & a the whole world to a 8 month old baby, that was definitely not an option!

Luckily, I felt better for this weekend b/c this weekend was my birthday celebration!  My birthday was actually yesterday, but we celebrated it this weekend since my husband was off.  A good friend of mine, whose daughter is good friends with both my daughters, volunteered to host a play-date in her home so that my husband & I, along with my baby boy ( who is attached to his mother like super glue), could go shopping at the new Tanger Outlets they opened about an hour from my home.  This Tanger is extra special for me because it has a QVC Outlet store.  I am infatuated with QVC, so this was a shopping dream for me!  I especially love the kitchen stuff (shocker, right?) – and I hoardcollect the dish line ‘Temp-tations’, which is the pretty bakeware, plates, & such that you see in my pictures.  I found some awesome bargains – and that money we saved on those bargains helped to justify in my own mind to where I decided to go to dinner.

 

We went to Red Lobster for my birthday dinner – one of my very favorite restaurants.  There my husband & I gorged feasted on crab legs, lobster, calamari, steak, & shrimp scampi – along with those delectable biscuits they give you an unlimited supply on.  Ethan (my baby boy) decided that he would rather eat mine & my husband’s mashed potatoes instead of the baby food that we brought along, so we divulged him in those.

I have to say that I had a wonderful birthday, & it even more than made up for the week of sickness that I endured beforehand.

So now, with all the sickness behind me, it’s time to continue with those Christmas goodies.  Next on the list – Chocolate Toffee Brittle.  This is one of the EASIEST sweets to make.  But, don’t let how easy the recipe is fool you.  These really pack a  punch for all the sweet-a-holics out there.

Here is what you need:  (As always, you can click the pic to make it larger or refer to the printable version)  In the picture it shows 2 packs of saltines, but 1 pack should usually be enough.  I always take out 2 packs though in case there are a lot of broken crackers.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with foil & spray with cooking spray.  Line your covered baking sheet with the saltines in 7×5 rows (7 length-wise & 5 width-wise)

 

Melt the 2 sticks of butter in a medium to large bowl for 2 minutes.  Mix in the cup of brown sugar, & microwave the mixture for an additional 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.

Pour onto your prepared saltines

Bake for about 17 minutes. It should bubble, but not burn.

Scatter the chocolate chips on top immediately & let them sit for 2 minutes so they can soften.  Then spread them around into a nice, melty layer.

If you would like to add any decorations/garnishes (like chopped nuts, sprinkles, etc), now would be the time to do it.  I used a combination of red & green sprinkles.

Put the baking sheet into the fridge for an hour to harden.  Then peel off the tin foil backing, which comes off really easily, & break into pieces.

These are SO good.  I hope you enjoy them as much as my family does!

Chocolate Toffee Brittle

Ingredients

  • 35 unsalted soda crackers
  • 1 cup butter
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cover cookie sheet with foil. Spray foil with cooking oil spray.
  • Place crackers on foil in 5 x 7 inch rows.
  • Microwave butter on high for 2 minutes. Add brown sugar and stir. Microwave on high for 2 more minutes, stirring every 30 seconds.
  • Pour over crackers. Bake 17 – 20 minutes (should bubble but not burn).
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips over hot crackers. Spread after 2 minutes (chips have softened).
  • Refrigerate 1 hour. Break into pieces.